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Onset to First Visit Intervals in Childhood Rheumatic Diseases CAL SHAPIRO, LYNN MAENZ, Md. ALOMGIR HOSSAIN, PUNAM PAHWA, and ALAN ROSENBERG
ABSTRACT. Methods. Onset to first visit intervals were analyzed in 836 children representing the 10 most common diseases in a pediatric rheumatology clinic population of 1093. Results. Among 836 subjects, 469 (56.1%) could identify month of symptom onset. Among patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) 125 of 195 (64.1%) with pauciarticular, 58 of 105 (55.2%) with polyarticular, and 28 of 36 (77.8%) with systemic subtypes were able to determine time interval between symptom onset and first visit. Month intervals were confidently established in 80 of 250 with a spondyloarthropathy (32.4%), 19 of 52 (36.5%) with psoriatic arthropathy, 65 of 72 (90.3%) with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), 50 of 56 (89.3%) with Kawasaki disease, 22 of 34 (64.7%) with systemic lupus erythematosus, 13 of 18 (72.2%) with dermatomyositis, and 9 of 18 (50%) with localized scleroderma. Determination of onset was significantly more likely in HSP than in other diagnostic categories except systemic JRA, and more likely in Kawasaki disease than other disease categories except systemic JRA and dermatomyositis. In the group of 469, 287 (61.2%) were seen within 2 months of symptom onset and 447 (95.3%) within 1 year of symptom onset. Conclusion. Diseases ordinarily typified by an abrupt and acute onset of symptoms were referred most promptly, suggesting that acuity of symptoms at disease onset is the factor that most influences promptness of referral. Prospective studies are required to establish how onset to first visit intervals might influence disease outcomes and to devise best practice referral guidelines. (First Release July 15 2007; J Rheumatol 2007;34:1913-7) Key Indexing Terms:
DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE
From the Departments of Pediatric and Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Supported in part by The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, The Royal University Hospital Foundation, Ralston Brothers Medical Research Fund (Kelsey Trail Health Authority), The Saskatchewan Division of The Arthritis Society, and The Institute of Child and Adult Arthritis Research (ICAARE). C. Shapiro, Undergraduate Student, McGill University; M.A. Hossain, MSc, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology; P. Pahwa, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology; L. Maenz, BSc, Research Assistant, Department of Pediatrics; A. Rosenberg, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan. Address reprint requests to Dr. A.M. Rosenberg, Department of Pediatrics, Royal University Hospital, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W8, Canada. E-mail: rosenberg@sask.usask.ca Accepted for publication May 15, 2007. |
